The Darkest Night
by E.G. Potter
Summary: Fate always has its way with tempering in lives. Now, it decides to create a little happiness in the post-war Wizarding World.


The night was dark. The darkest since the Dark Lord's defeat those many months ago. The dark times had passed now, the Wizarding World was rebuilding. So why did she still feel empty? She was lacking something she'd never been able to find, not in the capacity in which she sought it, that is. Love. Her father loved her, that she knew. And her mother had loved her too, before she'd died. She knew she'd always have the love of her friends and family, but sometimes, that wasn't enough.

The wind blew, licking at her dirty blond hair, picking up a tendril and playing with it. She leaned into the wind. The Forest was quiet, quieter than she had ever known it to be. Her hands lay still in her lap. She looked down at them, noting just how pale her complexion really was, especially in the moonlight. Or, it just could have been in a stark contrast to her black robes. She sighed, looking into the stars. A constellation caught her eye as she lay back in the cool grass.

She fingered her wand in her robe pocket. Magic. How had this all come about? She was a pureblood, she knew that, but where had it all started? There were different kinds of magic, she decided. And it only mattered which ones you embraced. Still, she was missing one magic she knew she needed.

Loony Lovegood. She'd never fit in. It had never bothered her though, until some of her friends had graduated and gone off to live their lives. Ginny got letters from Harry every few days. Hermione, having chosen to resume her last year at Hogwarts, got letters in the same frequency from Ron. It had never bothered her before that her friends were in love, so why did it matter now?

With the wind as her blanket and the grass as her pillow, Luna fell asleep, only to dream about the boy who she knew she could never have.

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><p>Fate was a thing of mystery. It loved to temper with people, to dabble in their lives. And for some people, Fate liked to create a little happiness. Which, in this case, only needed a little push because both parties were willing.<p>

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><p>Draco Malfoy had no idea what he was doing in the Forbidden Forest on Halloween night. Had he still been a student up at the castle, he'd have enjoyed the Feast and then returned to the dungeons in which the Slytherins lived. However, he was no longer a student. He was an adult now, living in a flat in Hogsmeade. He chose to live on his own rather than at the Manor because he wanted to be his own person, to build a life without his parents directing his every move. Subconsciously, he rubbed his left arm where the Dark Mark had once been. Upon the fall of the Dark Lord, his Dark Mark had vanished. This, he found peculiar because no one else's had done the same. Perhaps it was because he hadn't had it long enough to become truly tainted by it, to truly taint and alter his soul. Or, perhaps, it had vanished because he'd never wanted it at all.<p>

Draco didn't want to be evil. He never had. He kicked at a nettle that lay on the Forest floor. He'd hit rock bottom. The only place he could go was up. The thought gave some sort of hope, but he knew there was still something more that he wanted. He wanted to experience that which had never been showed to him. There was one girl, a year younger than he, a Ravenclaw that had always captivated him. Her eyes were a calm gray, much like his own, although hers were bluer. He would never have admitted it while in school. No, the idea of even talking to Loony Lovegood was laughable. The girl was crazy, with her ridiculous ideas and her daft father. Not to mention her unyielding loyalty to the Gryfindors. Draco's year mates would have ostracized him had he ever admitted to wanting to set his sights on Luna Lovegood. So he stuck to flirting with the pug-nosed Pansy, often wishing she were thinner, blue eyed and blond haired with a penchant for creatures most people didn't think existed.

A sound from within the Forest pulled Draco out of his thoughts. He pulled out his wand and whispered, "_Lumos," _thus illuminating its tip. He cast the wand light around and in front of him. He'd had no idea he'd been so close to the edge of the Forest. He could make out Hagrid's hut in the distance, with the castle looming behind it. It was only then did he notice the girl lying on the ground. She was curled in the familiar position of sleep, so it was unlikely that she had been attacked. The Dark Lord was gone, but not forgotten…some Death Eaters still lingered. As he reached her, Draco knelt beside her. Tilting her face toward him, shock flooded his veins. Was this in any way a coincidence? The main focus of his earlier thoughts, now at his feet in the middle of the Forest?

Draco found himself at a loss. What could he do? He didn't want to wake her, she looked so peaceful. Nor could he leave her here. The Forbidden Forest was filled with a vast multitude of creatures, any of which might decide on her as a midnight snack. Could he return her to the school? No, everyone was surely asleep. He could take her back to his flat.. The next day was Sunday and she wouldn't have any classes. But Luna hated him. How would he explain her waking up at his flat? This last option seemed the safest. Draco conjured a stretcher with his wand and levitated the sleeping girl onto it, beginning to make his way back to Hogsmeade Village.

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><p>Luna dreamt. It was the same night she had fallen asleep on. Instead of wearing her robes though, she wore a black dress. It hung to her curves and accentuated her thin body. The bodice was crafted out of silk and lace, creating a corset look. The skirt wasn't very long, the loose fabric pooling just over her knees. She wore black tights and simple black slippers, like a princess would have worn. Also, she wore a black cloak, its inside lined in green and silver silk.<p>

She sat on a tree stump, waiting. On what though, she didn't know. The wind blew. She pulled the cloak tighter to her. It held a faint scent of mint and a man's aftershave…or perhaps she had just imagined it. She had always imagined he would smell like that. She hung her head, the hood of her cloak falling into her face. Why couldn't she just give up on the boy?

Luna heard footsteps approaching. Slowly, she tilted her head up. A woman's voice whispered to her, as though on the wind. "Don't be afraid, my daughter. He will not harm you. Trust him, moon-girl, and he will give you everything you want." The footsteps had reached her now, and had stopped in front of her. She lifted her head to acknowledge the person.

The stranger slowly lifted their hood to reveal the pale, pointed face of Draco Malfoy. His gray eyes cut into her very soul and she caught again the smell of mint and aftershave on the wind. "Draco," she said softly, although she didn't recall wanting to speak. "You're here."

"Yes," he said, in the same tone. "I came. I always come."

She allowed herself a smile, "I know."

He wore plain black robes and a cloak to match hers. He knelt down in front of her. "Luna," he said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I know."

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><p>She awoke the next morning, breathing in that same mint and aftershave aroma. She slowly raised her head up and became aware that she was lying in a bed. A bed that was not hers and that was not in Ravenclaw Tower. There were no midnight blue hangings with silver stars and moons, the way the hangings on her bed were. And there were not four other girls in the same room. She looked around and saw the man she had been dreaming about. He was sitting in a chair across the room from her, studying her intently.<p>

Her voice broke the silence, cool and quiet, stronger than she would have imagined. "Draco." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes?" His voice was smooth, deep.

"I love you."

"I know."

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><p>(AN: I found this on my computer tonight as I was flipping through some old stuff. I never posted this though. Crazy! Haha. I know, I need to update my other three stories. I'm getting there. Don't hurt me, all right? Anyway. I hope you liked it! Drop me a review to tell me so? Cake to all reviewers!)


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